Skydiving daredevils break world record

A group of international daredevils has set a new world record in a skydive over Lake Elsinore in California.

The wing-suiting team jumped from planes at 14,500ftPhoto: BARCROFT MEDIA LTD

By Jon Swaine

11:21AM GMT 13 Nov 2008

The 71 divers from across the world assembled in the largest ever mid-air formation in the short history of wing-suiting - a variation on skydiving in which participants wear specially designed suits that slow down their fall to the ground.

The "wings" on wing-suits also allow the wearer to gain more control over their fall, giving them the sensation of flying horizontally as well as dropping vertically.

The group, who smashed the previous record of 16 wing-suiters, jumped from planes at 14,500 ft. They travelled almost three miles in a few minutes, moving at horizontal speeds of 100 mph and vertical speeds of 68 mph and were positioned just three metres apart.

They spent five days practising for the world record attempt, going through 30 dry-runs before the main event on Wednesday.

Justin Shorb, the group's organiser and wing captain, said: "It looks amazing and its a really good feeling to achieve this."

"We have people at this event from 6 continents including jumpers from UK, South Africa, Europe. I put my team through hell to get this to work ... to see their faces and to hear their screams and cheers when we announced that we did it, it was the most amazing accomplishment I have ever felt. It was awesome."

Mr Shorb, 27, from Boston, explained: "All 71 sky-divers were separated in four aircraft, named A, B, C and D. We had them lined up one in front of the other at 14,500 ft.

"At that height, every plane opened its door at the same time and we would all climb out and hold onto the side of the plane ready to jump. As soon as the jumpers in the second plane jumped, everybody followed.

"From the first person to the last person to exit the plane was roughly seven seconds."